The use of therapeutic and heat-insulating properties of siliceous gaize in the agricultural sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The unsatisfactory environmental situation in the regions of Kazakhstan has a significant impact on the health of farm animals, and livestock products are contaminated with heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and zinc. Taking into account the ecological state of the environment of the regions, it is necessary to introduce sorbents as feed additives that have a positive effect on the health and quality of meat products. In addition, alimentary diseases associated with the use of poor-quality deficient feed and improper organisation of sanitary measures cause significant economic damage to livestock farming. This explains the relevance of this study. The object of this study is the selection of a natural environmentally friendly raw material and its comprehensive use for obtaining a mineral feed additives and heat-insulating ceramic materials suitable for thermal insulation of the enclosing structures of agricultural buildings. To achieve this goal, gaize rocks of the Taskalinsky deposit in the West Kazakhstan Region are of the greatest interest as a natural, environmentally safe raw material. To determine the local elemental composition of the samples, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive microanalysis was performed. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was carried out to determine the chemical composition, and mineralogical composition was determined using X-ray diffractometry. Experimental analysis of gaize rocks from the Taskalinsky deposit found that the basis of the mineral part is silicon (Si), which is one of the necessary minerals for the animal body. The mineral part of gaize also contains Na, Mg, Ca, K, and Fe, which are also useful for the animal body. The resulting material can be used as a heat-insulating and structural material for the construction of external and internal walls, for the construction of a warm and chemically resistant floor and as a heater for the roof of agricultural buildings and livestock housing.